The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2024 - Issue 35

Juan Carlos Navarro biteartistprofile A t a young age, Juan Carlos Navarro, born in Guadalajara, Jalisco in Mexico, became inter- ested in art. “I’ve been fascinated by art since childhood, and I have always had a passion for drawing and painting.” The self-taught fine arts artist desired to express himself profoundly and freely in an infinite space. “When I was around 15, I began to draw and paint more in- tensely.” After studying architecture at school in his late teens and early twenties, he became a full-time artist in his thirties. “In the beginning, I would only draw, then I discovered the power of colour by painting these drawings.” He educated himself through art books, etching and charcoal courses, per- sonal practice, and exchanging ideas with fellow artists. He fell in love with creating rich compositions and building balance through many layers to find that perfect and visually peace- ful moment in his work. “My work process feels like a bubble where I can be myself without hiding anything.” Juan’s attention is captured by art in the way every artist can express emotions, thoughts, and senses infinitely. “The way people who witness, observe, and experience these expres- sions can be touched by these products that we have labelled as art.” He recalls the art pieces he drew and painted when he was 15. “My work was surrealistic. I would start by painting what was in my imagination and find my flow from there.” His inspirations come from movies, music, nature, and cur- rently, the books he’s read and the things he believes in or studies, such as metaphysics. Juan portrays many messages in his work, such as inner peace or peace of mind, which he says is the most important thing to follow instead of all the worldly things. “Another important topic in my work is the idea we are all interconnected to each other and the universe. I also love depicting psychosocial topics such as the shadow of Carl Jung. This concept explores our dark side and how we can use it for our evolution and transcendence.” The artist revealed he would love to explore our unconscious- ness, family constellations, and cosmology further. “I would also like to experiment more with my personal and other peo- ple’s learnings about how to go from the shadow to the light.” One of Juan’s most enjoyable and rewarding moments is com- posing the first shades and strokes and the ongoing flow. “Fol- lowing a simple idea that starts growing and evolving until the end is incredibly rewarding.” Although there is nothing the artist doesn’t enjoy in his work to an extent, there are things he enjoys more than others. “I think the commercialisation of art can be challenging to em- brace at times because it can often take much of my time and attention away from the process of making the artwork itself.” He believes a cutting-edge and successful artist works hard, never hesitates and can let their ego aside. He describes the art industry as constantly evolving. “We have great artists, beautiful places to exhibit art and amazing op- portunities for committed and well-established artists,” he said. “There is still room for us to grow collectively and em- brace emerging artists more than we do now by creating big- ger opportunities for anyone in the early stages of their career.” Incidentally, he would advise aspiring artists to enjoy the pro- cess as much as possible. “Never give up, draw a lot, work hard, constantly experiment, and always follow your heart." Juan loves to spend joyful moments in his downtime with his family. “I like running with our dogs and biking in the city or the mountains. I also enjoy travelling and visiting local mu- seums or galleries wherever I go. Meditating, watching mov- ies, and attending rock concerts are a few other activities that bring me peace and joy.” Being a tourist in a city captures Juan’s attention intensively. “I love big cities like London, New York, and Mexico City. Simul- taneously, I have a soft spot for smaller towns and cities like Puerto Vallarta and Tapalpa in Mexico and San Sebastián in Spain. Natural environments move me as well. I love the sea and forests, and you can find a lot of nature in my work.” He doesn’t have a particular favourite piece of art but loves many of his paintings, especially the more authentic ones. “Au- thenticity is one of the things I love about art.” He admires the Mexican art scene and artists like Remedios Varo, Alejan- dro Santiago, Maximino Javier, Rafael Coronel, José Fors, and Arévalo. He also appreciates international artists like Ian Fran- cis, Joan Barrios, Denis Sarazhin, Eduardo Kobra, and Yayoi Kusama. Juan has loved and shown his work in Spain, China, France and the United States. His past exhibits include Kinetic Sound Image, where he expressed his academic interest in engineer- ing and architecture with the influence of cubism projected on his canvases. Lineal Non-Linear showed form and substance in the fusion of the dual world and non-dualism in unity. Nat- urales represent the continuity of life and constant transforma- tion through human experience and its natural environment. His recent visionary work was part of an exquisite exhibition at Eclectic Gallery in central London honouring the beauty and strength of women in March for International Women’s Day. Sensational pieces like I See Beyond The Beauty, Evolu- tion, Mind in Spirit, Elevation to Higher Vibrational Frequen- cies, To Embrace The Presence I Am, and Ludic Connection With The Abstract beautifully capture the powerful essence of women. Furthermore, Juan has an upcoming exhibition in September 2024 at Arte de Oaxaca Galería in Oaxaca City. “I would like to craft some museum exhibitions in Jalisco, and there are cur- rently a few mural projects in the works for Jalisco as well.” Juan Carlos Navarro’s artistic works can be viewed on his and Eclectic Gallery’s websites. www.juancarlosnavarro.com.mx/acerca https://eclecticgallery.co.uk/artists/63-juan-carlos-navarro